I have used language models like GPT and Gemini recently to create some simulations, and even though these were toy projects, current progress makes it clear that AI agents will be able to autonomously build high-quality, large-scale recreations in the just next few years. The first venue that came to my mind was the mall I used to ride my bike to as a kid in the 90s. I want to pass through the food court, walk into Time-Out arcade, and look down into the central courtyard from the balcony, so here I am doing some preliminary work toward completing such an effort.
Here is the Git Hub URL to the repository containing a very simple proof-of-concept build of the Galleria in threejs that I videcoded using Gemini 2.5 Pro. It contains several of the architectural elements and you can zoom, pan, and rotate.
https://github.com/jaredreser/ShermanOaksGalleria1980s-recreation/tree/main
Gemini and I built this 3D model in under an hour with prompts. Let’s make a better one! Doing so will necessitate studying the existing pictures and video carefully. Lucky for us, there is a lot of it. The Galleria was once arguably the most well-known malls in the world and featured in several movies that have crystal clear footage that could be used. Putting this puzzle together accurately will require lots bits and pieces from many different sources. But doing so is fun. And the Galleria was beautiful. It had lots of neon, a glass elevator, casino carpets, retro-futuristic architecture, suspended walkways, and three levels of highly nostalgic stores and vendors.
I could envision this process also being used to re-create the original Vegas strip, opening-day Disneyland, a golden age Coney Island, 1960s Sunset Boulevard, or various World’s Fair fairgrounds. Of course, work like this has been done by large companies (e.g. Ubisoft of the Assassin’s Creed games) or through collaborative crowdsourcing efforts (Rome Reborn and Virtual Harlem).
Here's a general approach to how we could tackle this project:
- Gather Reference Materials: Collect photos, videos, and floorplans of the Galleria from the 80s and 90s. This includes movie scenes, personal photographs and videos, and any available architectural plans. That starts here. Do you have any? The more the better.
- 3D Modeling: Use software like Blender or SketchUp to create a basic 3D model of the mall's structure. AI can assist in generating textures and details based on the reference materials.
- Populate the Environment: Incorporate storefronts, signage, and interior details using generative imagery. AI can help recreate store logos, window displays, and even simulate lighting conditions.
- Interactive Experience: Integrate the 3D model into a platform like Unity or Unreal Engine to allow for an interactive walkthrough. This could eventually be adapted for VR platforms, providing an immersive experience.
- Community Collaboration: Engage with others who have memories or materials related to the Galleria. Their input can enhance the accuracy and richness of the reconstruction.
Next, let me give you a history of the mall because much of that context can be incorporated into the simulation.
History of the Galleria
The three-level Sherman Oaks Galleria was built at the intersection of Ventura and Sepulveda boulevards in Sherman Oaks which is a part of Los Angeles California. It sits on the site of Moses Sherman's original 1911 thousand-acre ranch. Sherman Oaks was named after him and for the abundant oak trees in the area. It opened October 30, 1980 with 1,000,000 ft.² of retail and office space and over 100 shop locations. It attracted 250,000 visitors in its first week. Of course, it helped to be located near the interchange of two of the world’s busiest freeways, the I-405 San Diego Freeway and the US-101 Ventura Freeway.
Here you can see the 405 freeway on the left, the Galleria and its central skylight in the middle, and the Sepulveda (vertical) and Ventura Blvd (horizontal) intersection.
From the outside, the original Galleria was a boxy, enclosed structure typical of its time. Robinson’s was the anchor store on the southside near Ventura. The May Company department store anchored the north side closer to the parking lot. They both spanned all three floors. In 1993, Robinson's and May Company merged to form Robinson's May. The North store became a men’s and home store, and the south store held women’s and children’s. Robinson’s and May are both now part of Macy’s.
Sherman Oaks Galleria (promo, 1980): "Enjoy the Valley’s new classy, contemporary, and compact three-tiered, high-tech shopping center. It’s what’s inside that’s wonderful…an atrium skylight, a crystal lift, a garden of trees and flowers. We built it just for you."
The mall was open seven days a week, weekdays 10 AM to 9 PM, Saturdays 10 AM to 8 PM, and Sundays 12 PM to 5 PM. The Galleria was not actually quite at the corner of Sepulveda and Ventura Boulevard. That designation goes to a small office building directly east of the mall that can be seen in this picture.
So, the building behind the main sign at the corner is merely an office building. The Galleria is to the left (west) of it and the Imperial Bank building (which is still standing) is to the north. I think it would be nice to include the intersection and surrounding buildings in this proposed simulation.
The Galleria on the left and the office building on the right as seen from the south side of Ventura Boulevard looking north. Both buildings are northwest of the intersection of Ventura and Sepulveda.
Here is the old plaza between the two buildings looking south.
Here is the Sherman Oaks Galleria circa 1982 seen from the northeast. Sepulveda is clearly visible in front of it. Several of these buildings are still standing to this day. These include the Courtyard Marriott (top right), the Galleria parking structure (bottom right), the Imperial Bank Building (left) and the 777 motor inn (bottom center). The smaller homes at the very bottom have been torn down and a large new construction project is taking place there as of 2025. Here it is from a slightly different angle:
The complex was designed by the firm Charles Kober & Associates. In retrospect, the design may not have been very kind to urban sensibilities (it turned its back on the street and pulled all life indoors), but inside those doors it felt like a self-contained world. It was a combination of glass, steel, tropical plants and pastel-colored decor, all soundtracked by echoing pop music. Notably, the floor plan had an unorthodox layout with few 90-degree angles. This gave the interior a dynamic, maze-like quality. A massive skylight crowned the central atrium, flooding the space with natural light. The skylight had a unique shape (one end was pointed and the other stepped), which became a defining architectural element of the Galleria. Planters with real trees and greenery were placed throughout, bringing a bit of the outdoors in – one could find benches next to potted ficus trees under the atrium, providing spots to “see and be seen” by fellow shoppers. At night, the interior was illuminated by a mix of skylight floodlighting and glowing store signs, giving it that classic 80s mall atmosphere.
Now that we are situated, let talk culture because the Galleria had a lot of it. It starts with Frank Zappa and his daughter Moon Zappa created the 1982 satirical song “Valley Girl.” They made it so they could spend time together while he was on tour. The song became a hit peaking at number 32 on the Billboard hot 100. Then it was nominated for a Grammy. It also mentioned the Galleria by name increasing the mall's pop culture visibility.
The movie 'Valley Girl' came out a year later and, you guessed it, was filmed at the Galleria. According to Galleria officials, the song and movie caused foot traffic in the 100-store mall to increase by over 30%.The Galleria quickly became the Hollywood of the valley and many celebrities shopped there. This included stars like Janet Jackson, Molly Ringwald, Paula Abdul, and Tori Spelling. One can hardly talk about the Sherman Oaks Galleria without acknowledging its outsized presence in 1980s pop culture. The mall didn’t just reflect the era – in many ways, it defined and starred in it.
Soon, even bigger lights were soon attracted to the Galleria.
The T-1000 in hot pursuit of John Connor gets a tip off from some kids in Terminator 2.
The three level atrium with a glass roof allowed movie crews and TV cameras to capture sweeping crane shots from every floor. Partially because of this, several hit movies were filmed there. It became arguably the most filmed shopping mall in Hollywood during the 80s, to the point that even people who have never been there feel familiar with it through movies and music. Here is a list of all of the movies I could find that include the Galleria as a shooting location. I noted the time mark that the shopping center shows up in each movie to help with the gathering of reference material:
Movies that Feature the Mall:
Movie | Year | Cameo Time | Other Mall Cameo |
Fast Times at Ridgemont High | 1982 | 1:17-7:10, 26:20-30:10, 35:34-36:45, 1:21:45-1:23:30 | Santa Monica Place |
Valley Girl | 1983 | 01:24-05:26 | Del Amo Fashion Center |
Night of the Comet | 1984 | none | Wilshire Bullock’s |
Commando | 1985 | 31:30-39:00 | |
The Colbys TV show | 1985 | | |
Chopping Mall | 1986 | throughout | Beverly Center |
Walk Like a Man | 1987 | 55:00-1:04:30 | |
Innerspace | 1987 | 25:00-28:00 | Northridge Fashion Center |
Back to the Future II | 1989 | none | Puente Hill Mall |
Phantom of the Mall | 1989 | throughout | Westfield Promenade Topanga |
Terminator 2: JD | 1991 | none | Santa Monica Place |
Mother | 1996 | 1:03- 1:08 | |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer S2: E12 | 1998 | 0:15-04:20 | |
In some cases, footage of other malls was mixed with that of the Galleria. Chopping Mall mashed up the Galleria with the Beverly Center. Fast Times used the exterior of the Santa Monica Place mall (1:00). The confrontation between the two Terminators' also takes place inside Santa Monica Place mall (30:00), although exterior shots were captured at Northridge Fashion Center (34:00) because there was less traffic. In Valley girl, aside from the aerial shot of the galleria at the opening of the movie, the mall scenes are shot at the Del Amo Mall (1:30). Phantom of the Mall contained shots of the Westfield promenade on Topanga. The Back to the Future movies used Puente Hills Mall. The night of the comet used the Wilshire Bullock’s (53:00). And Inner Space used the Northridge Fashion Center (25:00).
Fun fact: Despite common belief, the Galleria never actually makes an appearance in Back to the Future II or Terminator II. This happened due to an early error in media coverage, fan databases, and printed materials, and was then copied and reprinted. The T-1000 was told to go to the Galleria, but the actual shooting took place at the Northridge Fashion Center.
The mall was a place where parents would drop off their kids and became a major hotspot for teenagers. It was the home of mall rats and mall culture. The "valley girl" stereotype became synonymous with the retail complex. Singsong-y slang made turned this hangout hub into ground zero of “valspeak,” with phrases like “oh my God,” “for sure,” "barf out," "grody to the max," and “not even.” The teen mecca hosted events like spelling bees, Madonna look alike contests, record store signings, and an “Ultimate Valley Girl” competition that packed the mall with over 1,000 viewers and contestants. It was produced by NBC and judged by Moon Zappa herself.
The Galleria was a trendsetting fashion hub for Valley youths. Popular 1980s chains like Miller’s Outpost (known for denim and casualwear) and Contempo Casuals (iconic teen women’s fashion) were tenants, as were Judy’s, Casual Corner, and The Limited, catering to the “Valley Girl”-era styles. Upscale boutiques and specialty clothiers also had a presence. For example, Laury’s and Jackie’s (women’s boutiques) and G.H.Q. for Men provided trendy attire, while footwear retailers like Naturalizer, Florsheim, and Kinney Shoes lined the mall corridors
The food court was a lifestyle destination in and of itself. It was colorful and bustling. I was planning to use scenes from old movies to try to recreate the layout of the food court. However, I did a little research first and found that a gentleman named Todd Tarpley did this in 2014.
He did a great job, but he didn’t realize that a scan of the official 1981 directory already existed online which a viewer linked in the comments of Tarpley's post. You can access the original PDF here in the form of a brochure:
https://dbase1.lapl.org/webpics/calindex/documents/08/518842.pdf
This directory allows for a much more complete layout. So, I used optical character recognition to copy the full directory from the PDF (which is pasted at the bottom of this post). I then imported the map into Adobe Illustrator, whited out the numbers, and labeled the existing parcels:
Let me post each floor individually so you can read the labels more easily:
Here is a close up of the food court rotated 90 degrees for clarity. You know what is on the other side of that seating area? Empty space, 35 feet above the ground. So it was a nice view with the food court tables right up against the balcony railing.
Interestingly, this black and white layout I mocked up does not match the layout from the movie "Fast Times" as in that movie the Mexican Dan's restaurant is shown to the right of Kaboby and not the left. So it seems there is a mistake in the presentation of the buildings in the official floorplan.
The official floorplans don't show the location of the stairs, elevators, or escalators which are important for getting your bearings. So here I added those landmarks and a compass.
As you can see, the stairs were located near the north end of the courtyard. These stairs were accompanied by a complex of lookout stations and bridges that you can see in the photographs. The single glass elevator was on the opposite side, in the southern section of the main courtyard, closer to Robinson's and Ventura boulevard. The escalators going to and from the second floor were just to the right of the elevator. I spotted an ATM behind these escalators on the bottom floor. The escalators on the second floor were basically in the same location, just above it. Then, to the left of the elevator were the escalators going to and from a basement floor. This floor is somewhat mysterious and I couldn't find it in any pictures, but it was referred to as the "Lower Plaza" in the directory and contained a restaurant called P. Eye McFly's that had a mystery theme.
The mall had many white circular columns. On the top two floors, and on the stairs, the ground below these columns was balustraded to create circular viewing decks. There were dark burgundy carpets for the walkways and these were bordered by white brick shaped tiles by the store fronts. Then there were dark brown brick-shaped tiles in the central common area of the courtyard. In the nineties these square floor tiles were replaced with white ones.
In the eighties the railings were white, metal, and shaped like a fence with five horizontal crossbars and vertical bars every 4 feet or so. In the nineties these rails were replaced with brass handles and the horizontal white bars were replaced with glass. Most of the walls were white. In the nineties planters were added below the railings. They were gray and contained green ivy to match the green potted trees.
The mall was originally home to a four-screen multiplex theater called the Pacific 4 Theaters. It sat on the top floor and premiered with “Flash Gordon”; its four auditoria made it one of the Valley’s first true in-mall multiplexes. In 1984 one auditorium of the theater got full THX certification and 70 mm capability—among the earliest THX rooms in L.A. outside Mann's Chinese Theatre.
A Time-Out arcade flanked the Level-3 food court from opening day. 1981 photos show rows of Pac-Man, Space Invaders, and Defender.
It was my favorite reason to visit the Galleria because it had a great selection of top games. I especially enjoyed playing with strangers at the Galleria because of the competitive fighting games and multiplayer cabinets like X-Men and TMNT.
There are several coin types used by Time-Out arcades. I feel like this could have been the one used at the Galleria.
Sega reps quietly dropped arcade game cabinets such as “Out Run” and “After Burner” months before the national roll-out, making the Galleria a pilgrimage site for serious gamers in the late 80s. It is not clear if this picture was at the Galleria. It is reputed to be but that's not quite how I remember it. The picture is representative of Time-Out Arcades nonetheless.
Here’s another non Galleria Time-Out storefront to show you the aesthetic.
Games I Remember At Time-Out Arcade
Aliens vs. Predator
Mortal Kombat
Punisher
Street Fighter Alpha
Street Fighter II The New Challengers
TMNT Arcade
X-Men Arcade
X-Men Children of the Atom
Ok, so while I am indulging myself, let me list my favorite stores in the Galleria. Just the places you would expect a teenage boy to appreciate:
My Personal Favorite Stores:
Comic City
Footlocker
KB Toys
Metropolis Clothing
Miller’s Outpost
Pacific Four Theaters
Radio Shack
Sam Goody Records
Software Etc. (video game retailer)
Here is a great picture at night where the barrel-vault skylight is dark creating a totally different lighting affect. For the digital recreation, we will want to have day, night, and sunset lighting modes.
In 1981 a small aircraft crashed into the May company department store after midair collision with another plane. Mall goers were forced to evacuate.
Here is a picture of the mall before it opened. You can see the railing and flooring is unfinished.
People eating at the McDonald’s or Taco Bell restaurants on the east wing of the second floor could look out at the open air promenade that sat between the Galleria and the nearby office building. The mall had very few other windows.
Excitingly, there was a tunnel that traveled under the 405 freeway making it easier for pedestrians to get to the mall. The west portal opened off the end of Orion Ave and it ran east under all ten freeway lanes. The other end of the tunnel opened right by the north west corner of the parking structure. This tunnel has since been filled with concrete. The city placed the site on a list of “legacy pedestrian tunnels” to remain permanently sealed. It seems that a spike in LAPD calls, assaults, and narcotics arrests caused the city to close it.
I tried, on a half dozen separate occasions over the last ten years, to find the capped entrances to no avail. I couldn't find the exact location through searching the internet or querying AI. I had dinner with my Friend Junior Torres and his sister Gloria last night and they were able to confirm that the pedestrian tunnel actually aligned with Camarillo street on both ends. They knew because they lived in the area and used the tunnel to access the mall around age 7 and 8. After using the street name "Camarillo" I was able to confirm the existence of the tunnel from city documents. Here are my buddies Juice and Glo, the two detectives that helped me solve this puzzle by the entrance.
Junior said something else interesting last night. When I showed him this picture of the Kirwin's restaurant that I captured from the movie Commando, he said, "I don't remember that, I think that is a facade created for the movie." I remembered there being a Kirwin's from the directory but I kept this to myself because I didn't want to contradict my friend. But amazingly, I was able to confirm his suspicion today after an exhaustive search. The movie producers created a second Kirwin's on the third floor. It was also confirmed by someone who worked there at the time.
Kelly (former employee): I worked there in 1984-85. Worked overnights while they were filming Commando (1985). It always tickled me they turned the pet shop into a restaurant for the film.
On January 17th 1994 the mall closed for 11 days for repairs following the Northridge earthquake. It was a magnitude 6.7 and damaged several emergency sprinklers mains soaking several stores. Although the mall reopened quickly, it took Robinson’s May over four years to fully reopen the south store following the earthquake. This discouraged foot traffic and precipitated the decline of the Galleria as a whole.
In 1997 Douglas Emmett purchased the Galleria in an off market transaction for $51 million. A good deal as this reflected a value of $51 per square foot. However, by 1998 the tenant occupancy had dwindled to 40%. With fewer people, shoppers now had even less reason to visit, and the mall felt unnervingly emptier.
One LA Times columnist described walking its halls and being spooked by how one could “listen to your own footsteps on the marble floors.” Another LA Times article noted that by the end, a gift/jewelry kiosk was one of the few remaining businesses in the entire mall.
How did this happen? Of course there are still many successful malls today, but this is a general trend. Online shopping has rendered trips to the mall unnecessary. Home consoles and downloadable games have made arcades obsolete. Social media platforms have replaced public fraternizing, spontaneous conversations, and the casual joy of people-watching. Remote work has eliminated the daily need to go into the office. Dating apps have made real life encounters passé. Streaming services have diminished the role of movie theaters. The internet has made libraries largely dispensable. The rise of technology—something I genuinely love and appreciate—has gradually dissolved the need for shared physical spaces. Where we once gathered, now we type and swipe.
By the time Robinson's May reopened in 1998, many smaller stores on the third floor were forced to close because of reduced shopping activity. There was a five-year eviction fight that made national business pages. The lawsuit (settled Jan 1999) set a precedent for anchor-tenant disaster clauses. Owner Douglas Emmett sued Robinsons-May for “unauthorized closure” of that damaged department store. Of course Robinson's May countersued blaming poor promotion. They settled out of court. Shoppers began to go to other malls with fewer vacancies and more department stores. Interested in what San Fernando Valley malls gave the Galleria a run for it’s money?
Competing Shopping Malls:
Valley Plaza, North Hollywood, 1951
Panorama Mall, Panorama City, 1955
Westfield Fashion Square, Sherman Oaks, 1962
Fallbrook Center, West Hills, 1963
Golden Mall, Burbank, 1967
Northridge Fashion Center, Northridge, 1971
The Promenade, Woodland Hills, 1973
Glendale Fashion Center, Glendale, 1974
Glendale Galleria, Glendale, 1976
NoHo West, North Hollywood, 1990s
Burbank Town Center, Burbank, 1991
The Commons at Calabasas, Calabasas, 1998
Plaza Del Valle, Panorama City, 1999
The Americana at Brand, Glendale, 2008
The mall finally closed in April 1999. Media across the country treated it as the death of an icon: “Omigod, the Galleria died,” headlined the LA Times. It reopened in 2002, after a major renovation, as an open-air business and shopping center. It reportedly cost over $200 million. You can watch a time lapse video of the construction here:
The original Galleria was criticized for its unwelcoming and closed off design and the new Galleria certainly made up for this. It is nice and open with breezy walkways.
However, The Galleria is no longer a cultural center and is more office space (700,000 sq. ft.) than retail space (300,000 sq. ft.). However, that retail space is almost exclusively restaurants and food vendors. Even though it does have some places to eat, it only has a couple places to shop. In the 80s it had around 100 stores but now it only has one or two. It is elegant, but no longer hang-out central.
Tenants of the new Galleria now include 24 Hour Fitness, Brooke Williams Day Spa, DSW Shoe Warehouse, DeVry University, Paul Mitchell, Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Frida Mexican cuisine, Buffalo Wild Wings, Ben & Jerry’s, Robeks Juice, and Starbucks. The Pacific Galleria 16 theaters changed to an Arclight theater in June 2007 and was changed again in 2021 when Regal Cinemas took over.
The new Galleria is also home to Warner Brothers staff and several other companies, such as financial service providers and mortgage companies. There may be a bright side on the way though as a large new apartment complex is being erected across the street (to the north) that will have retail spaces on the street level floors.
Want to see the original store line up from 1980? Well, wait no longer:
Galleria Retail Directory from 1980:
There are 111 stores in this list. There are about 60 stores on the 100-level, 30 on the 200-level, and 20 on the 300-level
DEPARTMENT STORES
May Company
Robinson's
THEATRES
350 Pacific Four Theatres
RESTAURANTS
245 Kirwin's Restaurant and Bar
251 Mc Donald's
P. McFly's (Lower Plaza)
258 The Winner
MISCELLANEOUS
309 Buccaneer Smoke Shop
215 California Sportsman
368 Eyeglasses by Dr. Mast
223 Merlo's Cutlerv
383 Michal's Toys
169 O'Malley's Rowers
149 Ritz Camera
337 Time Out
364 Vince's Pets
214 Western Luggage
MEN'S APPAREL
250 G. HQ for Men
372 Mon Marte
154 Richman Bros.
MEN'S, WOMEN'S & SPECIALTY APPAREL
201 La Mariee
162 Leather Bound
312 Loco Shirts
133 Miller's Outpost
310 Motherhood Maternity
314 National Uniform
205 Simply Italian
329 The Gap
WOMEN'S APPAREL
226 Casual Corner
206 Clothes for Eve
145 Contempo Casuals
230 Judy's
207 Land & Sea
283 Lane Bryant
138 Limited
118 Limited
127 MGA
229 Pappagallo
101 Private Moments
122 Sandv Lane
104 Seline
295 Whip Cream
130 Windsor Fashion
SPECIALTY SHOPS: CARDS, GIFTS & BOOKS
121 B. Dalton Bookseller,
270 Carousel Gifts
225 Crabtree & Evelyn
384 Cute Things
354 Donna's Hallmark
153 Farr's Hallmark & Stationers
182 Gallery 10
113 Heaven
202 Howick's Fine Gifts
109 Incredible Machine
356 Music Box & Clock Shoppe
308 Very, Very Best
RECORDS, MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT
242 Baldwin Piano
125 Licorice Pizza
380 Radio Shack
313 Video Concepts
WOMEN'S SHOES
234 C.H. Baker
246 Cherokee
219 Connie Shoes
264 Jay Jordan
137 Joyce Selby
275 Malings
267 Naturalizer West
222 Red Cross Shoes
ATHLETIC SHOES
114 Footlocker
110 Lady Footlocker
325 Second Sole
FAMILY & CHILDREN’S SHOES
317 Gallenkamp
170 Kinney's Shoes
379 Stride Rite
210 Thom McAn
PACKAGE FOODS
141 Helen Grace Chocolates
271 House of Almonds
287 Thee Imitator
FOOD PARK
363 Amir's Falafel
365 Chinese Little Eating Place
369 Hot Dog on a Stick
357 Kaboby
359 Mexican Dan's
367 New York Deli
343 Orange Julius
335 Papa's Famous Hot Dogs
355 Perry's Pizza
333 Potatoes, Potatoes
331 Pretzels with Cheese
341Sandwiches Unlimited
353 Swenson's Ice Cream
371 Thai Pavilion
375 The Chipyard chocolate chip cookies
361 Yanagi Sushi
JEWELRY
150 Earringtree
360 Elza Jewelers
322 Kay Jewelers
238 Orofino Fine Jewelers
146 Schaffer & Sons
126 Slavick's Jewelers
233 Weisfield's
MEN'S SHOES
263 Florsheim Shoes
142 Regal Shoes
HOME FURNISHINGS
211 Casual Gourmet
376 Delicious Furniture
165 Eastman West
306 Frost Art
117 Home Shop
218 Martin Lawrence Galleries
178 R B Furniture
HEALTH & BEAUTY
129 Galleria Fitness Center
254 General Nutrition Center
259 Great Earth Vitamins
237 Great Expectations
157 Hoffman Barber & Beauty Supply
399 Rest Rooms
While I watched all of the movies and videos I could find related to the Galleria, I kept track of storefronts that were not named in the original directory. Here is that list, including where the store was located, the floor it was on, and the year the video or movie was filmed.
|
Store |
At or Near |
Year (as of) |
Floor |
|
Aahs Gifts |
|
|
|
|
Athlete’s Foot |
|
|
|
|
Baby Guess |
Sandy Lane |
1986 |
1st |
|
Barrett’s Jewelers |
|
|
|
|
Belgian Waffle |
Thai Pavillion |
|
3rd |
|
California Crisp |
|
1990 |
|
|
Card America |
|
|
|
|
Cartoon Junction |
The Great Earth |
1990 |
2nd |
|
China Inn |
|
|
|
|
Cinnabon |
|
|
|
|
Circle Gallery |
Heaven |
|
1st |
|
Claire’s |
|
|
|
|
Comic City |
Ritz Camera |
|
1st |
|
Consumer Electronics |
Incredible Machine |
|
|
|
Crabtree & Evelyn |
|
|
|
|
Dairy Queen |
|
1997 |
|
|
Earing Tree |
|
1986 |
|
|
El Pollo Loco |
|
|
|
|
Essex |
Baldwin Piano |
|
2nd |
|
Fast and Natural |
Amir’s Falafal |
|
3rd |
|
Footnotes |
Regal Shoes |
1986 |
1st |
|
Gingiss |
|
1986 |
|
|
Great Expectations |
Taco Bell |
1990 |
2nd |
|
Her Scent |
|
|
|
|
Howe’s Hallmark (at Donna’s Hallmark as of 81, 3rd floor) |
Donna’s Hallmark |
1981 |
3rd |
|
Hudson Goodman Jewelry |
Weisfields |
|
2nd |
|
Jewelry Mania |
Incredible Machine |
|
1st |
|
Leather Bound |
|
|
|
|
Malings |
House of Almonds |
|
2nd |
|
Mrs. Fields Cookies |
|
|
|
|
Music Plus |
|
|
|
|
O214 (at or near Sandy Lane as of 89, 1st floor) |
Sandy Lane |
1989 |
1st |
|
Panda Express |
|
1990 |
3rd Floor |
|
Paradise Bakery |
|
1990 |
3rd Floor |
|
Radio Shack |
|
|
|
|
Sam Goody |
Licorice Pizza |
1990 |
3rd Floor |
|
Sbarro |
|
|
|
|
Schaffer and Son’s |
|
|
|
|
Shoe Wiz |
|
|
|
|
Sleuth’s Bar and Grill |
|
|
|
|
Smooth Moves |
|
|
|
|
Software Etc. |
General Nutrition Center |
|
2nd |
|
Sports Fanatic (as of 90) |
|
1990 |
|
|
Swiss Jewelers |
Helen Grace |
|
1st |
|
Tell Time |
|
|
|
|
Tony’s Pizza |
|
1989 |
|
|
Victoria’s Secret |
Richman Bros. |
1989 |
1st |
YouTube videos on the original Galleria
And if you are still around, here are my personal memories of the mall from the late 80s and 90s.
I was in the Robinson's Department store when I first saw the Rambo game cartridge for the Nintendo entertainment system. My mom was worried it was too violent and got me a different game. It came out in December 1987. I remember it being displayed prominently in the electronics section so it was probably close to that date. That would have made me about six.
I was with my friend Chris and his mom at the Galleria around 1989. I would have been in 3rd grade. Within one hour I spent an entire $20 at the Time-Out arcade. I lost most of the money paying for my friend and I to play an expensive helicopter arcade game (similar to After Burner) where the seat moved with the joystick. I almost cried afterwards because that was my entire life savings and I was so disappointed in myself. I felt like a fool and learned a major life lesson.
I vaguely remember going into the pet store with my Mom around first grade and it feeling like petting zoo.
I remember being in the KB toy store at the Galleria and my dad said I could get a toy. He wanted me to get an airplane or some soldiers, but I chose the 1990 Muck Man who was a character from TMNT. It was a garbage man covered in slime with a mutant bug side kick. He disapproved but said "kid, whatever floats your boat."
I remember my dad asking me what I wanted to do on a Saturday as a preteen and I said I wanted to go to the mall. He said "C'mon man, what are you a valley girl?"
Cesar and I would drive our bikes to the Galleria and lock them up outside and then walk into Robinson‘s department store. As we walked through Cesar would chat up the ladies behind the counter and ask for free cologne samples.
I remember being at the KB toy store in 1994 at twelve seeing the Iron Man action figures based on the new Fox animated series. I was blown away by the detail.
In the mid 90s I would go to Time-Out Arcade with my friends in groups. I remember the sound of Colossus from the X-Men Arcade Game roaring over and over again as his super move was used. I remember seeing Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers for the first time in 1994 and being amazed by the new characters: Cammy, DJ, Fei Long, and T Hawk.
I remember getting excited to eat Sbarro‘s pizza, calzones, and spinach slices.
I was at the McDonald’s in the Galleria around 1996 when my best friend Cesar saw a cute girl come in. He was so fixated on her that he pinched his fries box between his fingers and thumb hard and it jumped up in the air as he stared.
Around 1997 my brother and I would walk into Software Etc. and look at the PlayStation one and Sega Saturn games. I remember seeing Mortal Kombat trilogy there for the first time. A few times we tried to sell our used games to them to buy new ones. However, we wised up because we had to sell over half a dozen of ours just to get one of theirs.
I continued to meet at the Galleria with friends into my mid teenage years. I bought albums and singles from Sam Goody. I remember an MC Eiht album and the first single off of the original 1997 K-Ci & JoJo album, "You Bring Me Up," which is still a knee slapper today.
I remember seeing the X-Men Inferno storyline of comics at Comic City around 98. It was old by that time and the art looked incredible. The shop was on the bottom floor near the back toward May. There were very few records of this comic shop's existence as it was in the Galleria around the time it was fading out. I remember feeling sad that the Galleria was becoming a ghost town.
I hope after reading all of this you would also like to see a digital recreation. The reference material is out there guys. The 1986 movies Chopping Mall and Phantom of the Mall alone contain footage of the large interior areas from practically every imaginable angle. I am excited to be anticipating soon living in a world where AI can resurrect something like the Galleria digitally. I think within a few years, researching and writing that kind of program will be trivial for it.
- Los Angeles Times archives – “Omigod, the Galleria Died” (Jan 31, 1999)latimes.comlatimes.com; “Merchants Gagging Over the Galleria” (Feb 17, 2001)latimes.com; “Valley Made the Mall a Cultural Icon” (Dec 17, 1999)latimes.com
- Tampa Bay Times – “Mall home of Valley Girls is closing” (Mar 9, 1999)tampabay.comtampabay.com
- Wikipedia – “Sherman Oaks Galleria” (historical summary and references)en.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org
- Todd Tarpley, The Tarp Report blog – “Sherman Oaks Galleria 1981 floor plan” (May 10, 2014)tarpreport.blogspot.comtarpreport.blogspot.com
- USC Digital Library – Wayne Thom Photography Collection (interior photos of Sherman Oaks Galleria, 1981)calisphere.org
- Los Angeles Public Library – Archived mall directory & brochure (c.1981)dbase1.lapl.orgdbase1.lapl.org
- Art Tavana - "Gagging Over the Galleria: An Oral History of the Sherman Oaks Galleria" 2025 https://arttavana.substack.com/p/gagging-over-the-galleria-an-oral
No comments:
Post a Comment